Embarrassing Family

Back in the '90s, "The Jerry Springer Show" was the ultimate in trash TV. Reena Friedman Watts was a producer on the show during its heyday - it was her first job out of college!

In this fascinating conversation, Reena takes us behind the scenes of this legendary show. She reveals the dysfunctional families she worked with, the lessons the show taught her, and what Jerry Springer was really like.

Plus, the one question everyone's dying to know: were those guests real, or was it all staged?

Bio: Reena loves a story, and she’s fascinated by the people behind them. In fact, she lives to bring stories to life. Her appetite for storytelling has taken her to unexpected places from the Jerry Springer Show to the legal drama, Court TV. And now telling compelling stories is a family affair. In her new Podcast, Better Call Daddy, Reena interviews people whose stories haven’t been told – at least not through her unique lens – and then gets daddy’s perspective afterward.

Website: https://bettercalldaddy.com/

Greg Schwartz might have the most mortifying family of all: his mom told everyone he was the mailman’s kid, his dad sang Broadway showtunes in front of his friends, and his aunt tried to set him up with his cousin. And trust me, that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Greg also dishes on the comedy gold that comes from being a high school teacher, including the dumbest question a student ever asked him, the time a student faked a terminal illness to boost her grades, and his battle with a local religious group.

Greg's bio: Born and raised in Southeastern NY (about 35 miles north of NYC).  I’m 48, married, no kids of my own (step daughter), and for the last 21 years I’ve been a Social Studies teacher.  About two years ago, as a result of a holiday gift from my wife for a comedy class, I started doing stand up.

This episode puts the “toilet” in toilet humor! Kevin Armando Escobar shares some scatological childhood stories, such as teaching his 4-year-old cousin to wipe himself, and the time his sister made him poop his pants.

Kevin also talks about growing up in a family from Colombia (the country with the #1 AND #2 serial killers), including the time his uncles faked his grandma’s kidnapping to get ransom money from his mom.

Bio: Co-creator and co-host of Bromitas SpanGlish open mic, that is every Tuesday at 8pm EST on zoom. Kevin Armando Escobar is a Colombian-American comedian from NYC who started stand-up comedy in 2018 on a dare and since then has been hooked.

Growing up, Kevin's parents forced him to learn Spanish which he greatly appreciates now that he can use his bilingual powers to do stand-up in both English and Spanish. It has also helped with meeting people from all around the world, especially now in the time of virtual comedy due to Covid19.

He has been featured at Broadway Comedy Club, St. Marks Comedy Club Nuevo talento de 2019 (New talent of 2019), Skank fest 2019, the Conchords Comedy Festival 2020 and NY Underground Festival 2020

He has also recorded a comedy special in Spanish (Arepa Sarcástica) that will be released soon.

An extra large episode for an extra large family! Ryan Cunningham spills the tea on growing up in a family that makes “Cheaper By The Dozen” look tiny, with a horde of brothers, sisters, and stepparents brought on by his parents’ numerous marriages and relationships.

Ryan recounts several hilarious stories, like playing Cards Against Humanity with his grandma, his dad’s “supermodel wife,” his unorthodox eulogy for his grandpa, and the time his mom pushed him to ask out the girl next door (spoiler alert: it didn’t go well).

Bio: Ryan Cunningham is a comedian who is not afraid to talk about any topic. He can find humor in the darkest subjects. His quick witted fast paced one-liner style will have you dying to know what he will say next. He's performed all over the South eastern Coast from Maryland to Florida in small venues and sold out shows alike. You can find him everywhere at @ryancunninghamcomedian and check out his podcast Ha Ha Horrible.

Moms can be overbearing, but few are worse than the mother of Nikki Castellanos. Nikki’s mom mails her underwear, barges in on her in the shower, and insists on being in the dressing room with her. She also refers to Nikki’s genitals as “peeps” and constantly asks if she washes them correctly.

Nikki dishes on her mom’s many quirks, including an obsession with Steph Curry that borders on stalking. Plus, Nikki bemoans her mom’s tendency to body shame and slut shame her - despite being married four times herself!

Bio: Nikki Castellanos is a fearless new comic who is never just telling you jokes; she is just telling you about her life. Based in Los Angeles, she is a complete whirlwind of weird and her unfiltered mind and material make her both lovable and relatable in the most obscene yet brilliant ways. In the past, Nikki has performed at Flappers Comedy, taken improv classes with The Groundlings and The Second City, and has studied stand up with @prettyfunnywomen and privately with notable comedian @melindahill. When she isn’t disappointing her mother, Nikki is usually writing poetry, watching The Golden Girls, posting hilarious Instagram content, and eating bacon-cheeseburgers.

What’s it like growing up gay in an Irish Catholic family? Well, according to Jake Leizear, there's a lot of passive aggressive behavior and alcohol-fueled antics…including the time his aunt showed up drunk in a Barney costume for his third birthday.

Jake shares the cringe-inducing story of how his cousin’s fiancee confronted him about his sexuality on her wedding day (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg). Plus, he talks about his brother, who might just be the world’s worst gift giver.

Bio: Jake Leizear is here, he's queer, and he wants a nap. Based out of Baltimore, Jake's ready to do improv, standup, lipsync battles, online game shows, anything that makes people laugh. He's the co-host of Thworp, A Podcast for Big Fans, and you can find him on social media anywhere people post at @jake_my_day.

“Take all the blood you want, but leave the beer in there.” This was one of the many hilarious one-liners from Anthony Jeannot’s grandpa. His love for drinking was so strong that his wife would hide his whiskey - and he would cleverly get his grandchildren to find the whiskey by turning it into a game.

David B. talks about his own grandfather, including his strong Italian pride and the creative ways he kills groundhogs who eat the plants in his garden. Plus, Anthony reminiscences about his cousin, who blew off a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to the World Cup.

Bio: Anthony Jeannot is a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian who has performed sold-out shows around the world. He's also the host of the Highbrow Drivel podcast, where he and his comedian friends get hilarious takes from serious experts like astrologists, psychologists and neuroscientists on topics like conspiracy theories, psychedelics and artificial intelligence.

You can listen to the Highbrow Drivel podcast at https://www.highbrowdrivel.com/ or his stand-up comedy album on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/album/18jzGrApZafS87UfSAhKkS?si=wYtLWwI6SQ2zT3kZ0b3HYw

Magazines. Newspapers. Hard candies. Napkins from fast food places. These were all objects hoarded by the father of Stuart Allard. In this hilarious conversation, Stuart details his father’s eccentricities and how growing up in the Great Depression may have caused them.

Stuart also shares stories about his technology-averse mother, who thought computers were just a fad that would be gone in a few years. Plus, he reflects on his dad’s hidden first marriage and the friction caused by an ex-wife who was constantly trying to contact him.

Bio: Stuart Allard is the creator of the Facebook comedy page Stu News. He is also one half of the Chicago-based improv duo Flower Shop Bangers, who have been hosting Zoom variety shows every Sunday and Wednesday since the start of the pandemic. 

Flower Shop Bangers: https://www.facebook.com/FlowerShopBangers/  

Stu News: https://www.facebook.com/stunews

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Greg Schwartz shares his most cringeworthy family stories, from his showtune-singing dad with the physique of Homer Simpson, to mom who tells everyone he’s the mailman’s kid  - and that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Greg Schwartz is born and raised in Southeastern NY (about 35 miles north of NYC).  He's 48, married, no kids of his own (stepdaughter), and for the last 21 years he's been a Social Studies teacher. About two years ago, as a result of a holiday gift from my wife for a comedy class, he started doing standup.